Tim's Anniversary
by dragonprincess1988
Summary: It's the anniversary of when Tim started working with Batman. Someone has big plans afoot. This one is for my oldest sister's anniversary.


Tim Drake was sitting at the kitchen table, moping, when Dick Grayson walked into the manor. "Hey Timmy, what's wrong with you?"

Tim sighed heavily. "I got kicked out of the cave. I don't know why, and I definitely didn't do anything."

Dick gave a small chuckle. "Dude, you didn't get kicked out of the cave. You have the night off, enjoy it."

Tim stared up to the older man before him. "Why would I have the night off unless I was in trouble? I didn't ask for it. It's not a special occasion or anything."

Dick placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I asked Bruce to give you the night off because it is a special occasion."

Tim's eyes grew wide and then his face contorted into a thoughtful pose. "It's not anyone's birthday, nor is there a wedding in anyone's future that I know of."

Dick gave a mischievous smile. "Timmy, it's your anniversary!"

Tim just gave him a very confused stare. "Um, dude, I don't even have a girlfriend. How is it my anni?"

Dick shook his head. "Silly, I can't believe you don't know. Today is the anniversary of the day that you started working with the Bat. You made it this long without killing him, trying to kill him, or threatening to kill him. I think that deserves to be celebrated."

Tim only continued to stare. "No offense, but I don't normally enjoy your way of celebrating."

Dick gave a fake look of shock and placed a hand on his chest. "But Timmy, we always have so much fun."

Tim shot a look at the ground. "I guess, but I can't go missing again. My dad is pushing military school already, and as much fun as that whole the world isn't ending just because you don't like your curfew talk is I would rather not go there."

Dick stood up straight. "I promise I will have you back before your dad's little bed check. I mean, what kind of irresponsible guy takes his buddy out for his anniversary and then gets the poor guy in trouble with his father?"

Tim gave him a weak smile. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Dick rubbed his hands together evilly. "It's a surprise, I can't and won't tell you."

Tim rolled his eyes and Dick pulled a blindfold out for him. Dick then led Tim to the car. After a few hours of driving and listening to Tim whine Dick was about to toss Tim out and just leave him, but decided against it. Not because he had a conscience and considered Tim a brother or anything, but because Dick was afraid of what Bruce would have done if he came back without Tim.

Tim heaved a heavy breath into his lungs before continuing his rant. "Are we there yet? It feels as though we've been driving forever and this blindfold is uncomfortable. Where are you taking me anyway?"

Without a forewarning sound or a glance to his passenger Dick's arm lashed out and the back of his hand connected with the side of Tim's head. "This could be fun or this could turn out to be a very long talk between Bruce and me about why you never made it home."

The next thing Tim knew he was being pulled from the car by one strong hand on his shirt collar. Dick threw Tim to the ground and quickly ripped off the blindfold. "Dude, I have ears, and no matter what you think they are attached." Tim scolded as he rubbed the skin around his raw ears.

Dick rolled his eyes. "Quit being a baby and get up."

Tim slowly got to his feet. "I thought you said this was suppose to be fun. So far it's just been annoying and painful. I could be going over files and having more fun right now."

Again without even thinking Dick reached out a hand and smacked the young man in the head. "Are you going to let me tell you where we are and what were doing or are you just going to sit there being annoying and spazy?"

Tim glared angrily and then walked closer to the older man. "Okay, where are we, and what are we doing?"

Dick gave an evil smile. "We're in the middle of nowhere and we are going to be spending the next two days camping and bonding. I already cleared it with your dad. He thinks I am spending the time teaching you respect and what not." Dick's smile grew with every word.

Tim, on the other hand, had a horrified look upon his face. "Two days? This is supposed to be fun? I thought this was supposed to be a celebration. Instead we're just going to spend the entire time fighting. You know that right?"

Dick's hand was already in motion, but this time Tim grabbed a hold of his arm before Dick had a chance to strike. "It only took you three times to actually catch on. No wonder The Joker always captures you. I think Bruce keeps you around for novelty purposes. Anyway, if you stop acting like a spaz then this time together should go smoothly."

Tim turned away and headed back to the car. "Tell you what I'll go back to Gothham and you can stay here and bond with yourself."

Dick stretched out his arms a little. "You don't know where we are. Now get the tents out of the car and help me set them up."

Tim grumbled under his breath, but did as he was ordered to do. After he threw one of the tents to Dick and watched him start to set it up, Tim walked at least 20 feet away from Dick and started putting up his own tent.

Dick turned and looked at his companion. "You know that's just childish."

Tim didn't look away from what he was doing. "Well at least over here I can be a useless spaz that gets captured by The Joker nonstop. By the way, I was right all we do is fight, face it, it's how we show our love."

Suddenly Dick walked over and grabbed the boy by his collar again and dragged him back to his tent. "I've had enough of your emotional baggage for one day. Now get your butt over here and start acting like a real person. We are going to have fun, damn it, even if it kills us."

Tim growled. "The novelty piece doesn't feel like it. At least I've got that. What are you? Some bird-bat hybrid according to The Joker, you know what, I think he's wrong. I think you're an experiment that went horribly wrong. Maybe Bruce keeps you around to have a good laugh once in awhile."

Dick tossed him into the tent and then dove on top of him. The two of them thrashed around until the entire tent came down on them. Then they still continued fighting. Punches were thrown, kicks were being given from both sides, and they were rolling around. After about five minuets the two men were so tangled in the tent neither could move. Both of them were breathing heavily and then laughter erupted from the entangled figures.

Tim was still laughing hysterically "I can't believe you tossed me in here and jumped on me."

Dick was starting to catch his breath. "I can't believe you have such a good left hook."

Tim stopped laughing for a second. "Hey, it's getting hard to breath and I can't get out of here."

Dick began to struggle, as well. "Well, um, I don't want you to worry, but I can't get out either."

Within moments Tim was finding breathing to be a chore. "I think were going to have to cut it."

Dick began to cough from the lack of air. "Are you kidding me? This thing is new."

Tim squirmed a little to grab a batarang to cut the fabric around him. Once he had freed himself Tim climbed over to Dick and released him from the evil fabric's grasp, as well. Dick gasped for air. "I thought I told Batman to make sure you didn't have any of those things."

Tim grinned widely. "Well, he did inventory of my stuff and made sure it was all there, but oddly he didn't do the same with his own things. I think he knew that with the two of us together we would need something. We tend to get into a lot of messy situations when we're together."

Dick was sulking to himself still about the little situation they had just been through. "Still you didn't have to cut the new tent. I would have thought of something."

Tim gave him a look of discontentment. "Is that before or after you ran out of oxygen?"

Dick stuck his tongue out at him. "I had plenty of time to figure something out. It's not my fault you always jump the gun."

Tim just laughed a little bit. "And you said I was being childish."

Dick just stopped and looked around him for a moment. "You realize we are going to have to sleep in the same tent now, right?"

Tim stopped laughing and scanned the surroundings, as well. "I can sleep in the car. After all, I was the one that shredded the tent."

Dick looked back to the car. "No way, that can't be comfortable. We're both adults. We can handle sleeping in the same tent together."

Tim started fidgeting nervously. "I would feel much more comfortable in the car. Trust me you wouldn't want to be near me while I'm sleeping anyway."

Dick gave him a rather confused stare. "What are you talking about? You sleep at the manor just fine when you can't make it home."

Tim hung his head low. "I have issues, okay. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes."

Dick still did not understand what Tim was trying to get out. "So what? I do the same thing. It's called a nightmare you'll get over it."

Tim was really frustrated now. "No, I have night terrors you baboon."

Dick was shocked that he had known Tim this long and had never realized his friend's problem. "Well tell you what, I'll sleep in the car and you can sleep in the tent. It will be more comfortable."

Tim was waiting for Dick to make some lame remark about his little problem, but none was given. "That's okay I need the small tight space and thickness of the metal to block out the sounds."

Looking slightly concerned Dick placed a hand on Tim's shoulder. "You don't have anything that helps you through the, um, things."

Tim gave a small chuckle. "They are called night terrors. You can say it; the word isn't going to hurt you. As for something to help me get through them, the only thing that helps is when someone I trust reassures me it will be okay. Don't ask, it's embarrassing and I was hoping to keep it from you."

Dick ignored the last part of Tim's explanation. "Then wouldn't both of us sleeping in the tent be better for you? That way when you freak out I can help you."

Tim stared past Dick to the tent. "One, you don't deserve to have your sleep ruined like that and two, the only thing I trust you to do is slap me in the head." Tim smiled a little.

Dick grabbed the young man and put him in a headlock then started to mess with his hair. "Everyone needs a good smack in the head every once in awhile. Plus, I need my sleep to be interrupted or else I become spoiled and my sleep pattern gets all messed up. Face it, you would be doing me a favor."

They both walked over to the tent and started placing everything they needed in it. "So, hey Timmy, did I say happy anni yet today?" Dick smiled as he placed two pillows side by side in the tent.

Tim grinned back at him. "Yeah you did, even if I don't know why. I don't think that today should be celebrated anyway. What's so great about me working with Bruce anyway?"

Dick nudged the younger man slightly with his elbow. "Dude, you're the one that keeps Bruce in check when he starts acting like crazy Bruce."

Tim laughed as he climbed into the tent and lowered his head onto a pillow. "Just remember you're the one that decided this was a good idea." Tim fell asleep shortly after that.

Dick, however, stayed awake for a few hours just watching the man he considered a brother sleep. He wasn't just worried about Tim. Dick couldn't help but wonder how many other things he didn't know about the boy sleeping next to him. Dick decided that he would learn as much as he could directly from Tim on this trip, rather than find out via the bat cave computer.

A few hours later Dick fell asleep. Not even 10 minuets after that Tim woke him up by screaming and thrashing around. Dick had read about night terrors, but had never really seen one. The only thing going through his mind was yeah they are scary. Dick was trying to remember how to calm a person with night terrors while he was holding Tim down so he wouldn't hurt himself. Then Dick remembered that holding the person and reassuring him it was okay was one way to calm the person. Dick pulled Tim into a tight embrace and slightly rocked him until he was once again calm. Slowly Dick lowered the young man's head to the pillow. After he was sure Tim was okay Dick laid back down and fell asleep.

Dick awoke late the next morning. Tim was already up sitting outside of the tent when Dick walked out. "How bad was last night?" Tim was staring at his feet.

Dick could see the pain in the young man's face. "Not bad, it only took me five minuets to calm you down. How long have you had night terrors?"

Tim continued to look at his black tennis shoe laces. "Since my mom died." There was little emotion in his voice.

Dick decided to lighten the mood a bit. "So, what else don't I know about you?"

Tim's eyes met his and there was a look of deep thought and consideration in them. "Nothing really, you pretty much know everything else there is to know."

Dick could tell there was something else that Tim just wasn't saying. "Pretty much isn't everything. So, what don't I know?"

Tim flashed him an angelic smile. "I like to do weird things with food."

Dick's face contorted. "Weird things, like what?"

Tim's grin grew exponentially. "Well, I like to dip my French Fries in my milkshake. I also like to put chocolate covered espresso beans in any type of coffee drink. Oh, and the best thing in the world is warm cornbread in a bowl with milk. You eat it like cereal and it's so awesome."

Dick was staring at him with an odd look. "Um, doesn't putting milk on it defeat the purpose of the bread being warm?"

Tim thought about that for a second. "Who cares, it's good anyway. I also place gummy worms around the cave for Batman to find, like the time I filled his utility belt with them. That was hilarious." Tim started to chuckle.

Dick glared at him with a viscous stare. "That was you! I got blamed for that. Both Bruce and Barbara were yelling at me to just confess and deal with the consequences of my decision. Although, I don't know why they thought I did it. They should have known that if I had done something that creative I would have taken credit for it." Dick had the urge to put Tim in a headlock, but promised himself he wouldn't.

Tim looked over to the man he considered a brother. "Um, Dick, why are you shaking?"

Dick grabbed his own hand and pulled it farther away from Tim. "No reason." He answered quickly and shifted so Tim couldn't see his trembling hand.

Tim was rather worried. "You sure you're okay?"

Dick ruffled Tim's hair in the hopes that would satisfy his need to put him in a headlock. "I'm fine. So, anything else I don't know about you?"

Tim chuckled a little. "Nope that's it. Oh, by the way, I know you're dying to put me in a headlock so just do it."

Dick's jaw dropped. "Wait, you let me put you in headlocks? How dare you?"

Tim put his hands up defensively. "I don't let you, it's just that if you don't do it right away I can tell you want to. Normally you never wait though, you just do it."

Dick couldn't help it; he ruffled the boy's hair again. "So, what do you think of your anniversary present?"

Tim cocked his head to the side. "Honestly when you told me you had a present for me for my anni I thought it was going to be vast amounts of training with you. So, I have to say this hasn't been bad."

Dick smiled widely. "No I left the training to the Bat."

The End


End file.
